The invention relates to an apparatus for use in disposing of human waste and more particularly a commode capable of incinerating waste.
In the field of human waste disposal, a number of methods have been employed for disposing of the solid and liquid waste. Commonly, sewage treatment plants are provided that are connected via sewage pipelines to domestic and commercial facilities. As population has increased, the capabilities of the sewage treatment plants have been severely strained. In remote areas where sewage treatment facilities are not available, septic tank means are often employed to dispose of human waste. A septic tank utilizes bacterial action in the tank to dispose of solid waste and a subterranean drainage field for disposing of the liquid waste. However, in certain areas where the soil conditions are not satisfactory, the use of septic tanks can create unhealthy conditions. A number of municipalities have adopted strict codes to regulate the use of septic tanks.
In remote areas where sewage treatment facilities are not available and where septic tanks are not feasible, oxidation ponds can be employed. Oxidation ponds utilize a fungus to dispose of the solid waste, and the liquid waste is disposed of through evaporation or surface drainage means. The use of oxidation ponds requires a large ground area and can be malodorous as well as unattractive in appearance.
A number of attempts have been made to devise chemical and incinerating commodes for use in disposing of human waste. The prior art chemical and incinerating human waste disposal apparatuses, however, are extremely complex in construction and operation, uneconomical to manufacture, and unreliable in performance. Primary disadvantages of prior art incinerating commodes are the time required to complete an incinerating operation, time required to cool the commode for reuse, and the need for frequent cleaning.
The inventor has personally worked for over twenty years devising improvements in incinerating commodes. The inventor has received numerous patents, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,816,857; 3,885,254; 3,855,645; 3,911,506, 6,763,528 and 7,127,748 each encompassing improvements in incinerating commode technology. However, while these prior commodes worked for their intended purpose, the cycle time, heat of combustion, and cleaning of the commode bowl all could be improved. The inventor has worked diligently in producing an economical and operationally feasible incinerating commode.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an incinerating commode that has an improved cycle time for the incineration of the waste.
Another object of this invention is to provide an incineration commode that uses a cleaning fluid and/or a combustible fluid to improve the efficiency of the incineration of human waste.
Another object of this invention is to provide an incineration commode that separates the urine component from the fecal component of human waste to cause the fecal component to burn more efficiently.
Another object of this invention is to provide an incineration commode that uses the separated urine component mixed with a cleaning fluid to cool and steam clean the chamber in which the fecal component is incinerated.
Additionally, it is an object of the present invention to regulate the burn of the fecal matter to ensure a quick and even burn, hence decreasing the burn cycle time and reducing particulate combustion byproducts.
Another object of this invention is to provide water-cooling of the combustion chamber to manage the heat created during the combustion process and increase cyclic rates by decreasing cooling times between burn cycles.
Another object of this invention is to provide pre-heating of the combustion chamber to minimize time and fuel required to pre-heating the combustion chamber during burn cycles.
Another object of this invention is to provide a baffle to increase the turbulence in the combustion chamber to increase the heat of combustion, thereby reducing burn cycle time and particulate combustion byproducts.